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Storyline

Oddball cop and tough guy, Jack Cates is the only survivor of a cop shooting and in hunting down the murderer collects Reggie Hammond from jail for 48 hours. Hammond is oddly motivated to help. The killer is searching for his stash of cash. Cates and Hammond who have the Black-white, cop-crook thing to work out make surprisingly good partners as they navigate through the city looking for their suspect. Written by
John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

Technical Specs

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The band at Vroman's is "The Busboys", who in real life would open up for Eddie Murphys comedy concerts. During breaks in filming, Murphy would join the band for a musical number and ham it up. See more »

Goofs

When Jack Cates visits Reggie in jail the first time, the bill of Reggie's cap goes from up to down to back up again. See more »

Quotes

Reggie:
[in fake southern accent]
I want y'all to know somethin'... there's a new sheriff in town...
[Reggie removes his cowboy hat and tosses it to the bartender, then speaks in his natural black dialect:]
Reggie:
... and his name is Reggie Hammond! Y'all be cool! Right on!
[leaves]
See more »

User Reviews

Nick Nolte is well-cast as the average tough, somewhat maverick cop who gets involved in a case involving an escaped convict and his partner and their psychopathic rampage through San Francisco. He's forced to enlist the help of fast-talking incarcerated con man Eddie Murphy, who has dealt with one of the killers in past. Murphy insists he be let out for 48 hours in order to secure a stash of money he has that the killer wants. Nolte and Murphy are a mismatched pair, Murphy being the sly young criminal, Nolte being a tough, somewhat ignorant cop who tires easily of his partner's fast mouth and wayward way of giving information, and constant attempts at getting a gun.

There's one good scene where Murphy walks into a redneck cowboy joint with a bet about what it takes to be taken seriously as a cop, and trades places with Nolte as a detective trying to get information on where one of the guys is. Later on, Nolte and Murphy get into a fight because Murphy won't say what he knows the escaped killer is after.

Walter Hill creates one of the best cop movies ever, and a perfect movie to act as Murphy's first real vehicle for his comedy style. However, this is not comedy like, say, "Trading Places." This movie is more the comedy style of the first "Lethal Weapon" movie. Alternately serious and funny.

21 of 26 people found this review helpful.
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